The policy under the Rural Development Programme 2014 – 2020 turns to support for small farms, young farmers and the branches, neglected so far – growing of fruits, vegetables and stock breeding. The restoration of the demolished irrigation system is a subject of attention for the first time as well. This is what the draft project of the new RDP envisages, as proposed for discussions.

EU subsidies over the previous period 2007 – 2013, the first one for Bulgaria as member of the Union, went predominantly to big farms. Now it’s time for the money to be allocated to the small farms that make up for the majority in this country, as well as to the recently neglected sectors of fruit and vegetable growing and stock breeding.

Drastic disproportions were registered through the first period of EU funding for the Bulgarian agriculture. 80 percent of the subsidies went to about 4 percent of the farmers – those, cultivating vast even for Europe territories, planted mainly with wheat cultures. Thus the support for the other traditional for this country activities was equal nearly to zero. This affected the production of fruits, vegetables, dairy and meat products. Now 80 percent of fruits and vegetables are imported, along with 90 percent of meat. Even our processing industry works with barely 25 percent of local raw materials. The new RDP vision aims to correct this lack of balance, allocating more funds to the growing of fruits, vegetables and to stock breeding. Just to remind, the so-called linked to production support of the sectors mentioned above will be increased to 13 percent of direct subsidies on 3.5 percent for the 2007 – 2013 period.

The support for small farms is another priority of the programme. A special sub-programme is envisaged for those, so now they will compete for funding among each other and not along with the giants. Small family farms will have the chance to receive 10 percent more for the investments they need.

The next priority is to support of young farmers, aged up to 40. For those starting now, there will be an initial support with its size about to be determined. The EU faces a major issue as a whole in the lack of a younger generation of farmers. It is also related to the major problem on food security that will get more and more serious with the rapid expansion of this planet’s population.

The gangrenous problem with the ruined irrigation system is of key importance for the development of Bulgaria’s agriculture. The new Rural Development Programme has finally paid attention to it. The amount of money that is to be allocated to hydro melioration is being discussed right now. The success of the sectors that center the programme – growing of fruits and vegetables – is unthinkable without a possibility for irrigation. One should also take into consideration the warming climate that is most strongly felt precisely in South Europe.

“There is still a clear trend to the expansion of good-quality foods of transparent origin in Europe. If those products are  organic, this would generate even greater profitability. That is why organic horticulture, beekeeping and stock breeding will be funded over the new programme period,” Agricultural Minister Dimitar Grekov pointed out at the Programme’s presentation. Bulgaria has excellent conditions for the development of organic farming. Those producers felt only the lack of such financial support till now.

Let’s recall that about 25 percent of Bulgaria’s active population is employed in the  farming sector. According to the minister, the new RDP aims at the increasing of the added value from agriculture, the opening of new jobs and the ceasing of rural areas’ depopulation that is going grotesque. It is all a step into the right direction and whether the money envisaged for the next 7 years – a bit over EUR 2 bln. will be enough, is a different story.

English version: Zhivko Stanchev